Perfect Christmas
by scoob2222
Summary: Danny gives Montana the perfect Christmas.


Danny was amazed at how well Lindsay had handled pregnancy. Even though the first three months had been filled with morning sickness, exhaustion and aches and pains she'd soldiered through, working as much as she could and dealing with the rest.

While he was a complete and total wreck worrying over her. He was constantly running around trying to get her to sit, put her feet up, even nap in the break room, but she always told him she was fine. She was a professional and she could handle it.

At home wasn't much different, she still refused to let him do her laundry, she cooked (okay ordered in) every other day, and even vacuumed when it was her turn.

In short she was a tiny ball of amazing energy and the perfect, storybook mother to be. Almost like something out of a 50s TV show...only without the whole bringing him his slippers thing.

Which was why he was shocked, no, freaked out to the maximum, when he returned home from work to find her crying hysterically on the couch.

"Montana," he said, dropping his bag and rushing over to her, "What is it? Where does it hurt? Why didn't you call me?"

She shook her head, "The baby's fine Danny," she said between heaving sobs, "It's me..."

"What's wrong?" he said, only slightly calmed by her reassurances, "Tell me."

She shrugged, then pointed at the tree and sobbed again, "Look at it."

He looked over, saw the tree halfway decorated, "It looks great so far."

Her glare was scorching, "It looks horrible. It's a complete mess Danny. The ornaments are all wrong. The lights are tangled and...and I'm too tired to fix it."

"Oh baby," he said, pulling her closer, "I'm so, so sorry. It'll be okay though, we'll fix it."

"How?" she asked, sounding so tiny it made him want to hold her even tighter.

"We just will. I'll…..I'll put up the ornaments."

She pulled back to glare at him.

"What?" he asked.

She sighed, "you won't do it right. There's an order Danny. I've been collecting these ornaments since I was a kid and…and there's an order."

He forced himself to keep smiling even as he internally laughed at how very crazy she sounded, "Well you can show me….you can help me and I'll follow your directions…every single one."

She was quiet for a moment, but finally nodded, "But you have to listen carefully Danny. The tree has to be perfect for the baby….even if she won't be here yet."

He nodded, "Of course, sweetheart."

i 20 minutes later / 

"No Danny left….left…..how can you not know your left from your right?"

"Sorry, baby," he said, fixing the ornament and reminding himself that she was carrying his baby and had the right to be a complete lunatic if she wanted to.

&&&&&&

When he was finally done he sat back next to her on the couch, "Are you….Lindsay are you okay? I mean…that was a pretty big freak-out before."

Lindsay shrugged, "I'm hormonal. I'm four months pregnant; I have a right to be."

He nodded, "Sure, but…it seems like more than that."

She shrugged again and looked away, "I just…I thought I could handle it all. I could work, take care of everything here, be pregnant and get the apartment ready for Christmas, but I'm…I'm so tired Danny. I'm exhausted, too exhausted to even enjoy my favorite holiday and its just depressing me." She covered her eyes and leaned toward him, "I shouldn't be depressed. I'm having a baby, that's wonderful, but I'm just…"

"Shhhh," he whispered, bringing her closer, wrapping his arms around her, "It's okay. Lindsay this is completely normal. You've, you've been trying to do everything, you've been determined to do everything just like before you were pregnant, but…you don't have to. That's what I'm here for, to share this with you—and not just the great parts, the responsibility too. Okay? So just….lean on me."

"Okay," she said and rested against him, "I just…..I just wish I could find the energy for all this Christmas stuff."

Danny sighed, unsure what to say. He gathered her against him, and then smiled, "You know what Montana I might just have an idea on how to do that."

&&&&&&

Lindsay smiled as Danny helped her slather icing on the roof of the gingerbread house. After her colossal meltdown he'd had her made a list of all her most important Christmas traditions and said he'd figure out a way to make them happen. Last week he'd brought home a new ornament, just like she did every year and now they were decorating a gingerbread house, one of her favorite.

"This is perfect, Danny," she said as she placed a kiss on his cheek, "Thank you."

He smiled, "Whatever it takes to make you smile Montana," he said, leaning in and licking icing off her fingers. She giggled and pushed him away. He playfully tackled her to the ground, the gingerbread house forgotten as they kissed.

&&&&&&

When he took out his laptop and went to the online shopping sites she was not nearly as happy as she was about the gingerbread house.

"Danny I like to pick things out, go through them, actually see them, and not just see a fuzzy image of them."

"I know honey, but this is Christmas shopping while in your pajamas in front of the television with your feet up."

She looked at her feet, propped on his lap and nodded, "Okay, but I'm just going to try it. If I don't find anything we are going out to the store and you are just going to have to ca---oh, what's that? They didn't have that in the store. It's perfect for Stella. And oh your mom will love that and…."

And hour later Danny was no longer hoping she'd like online shopping and instead praying she wouldn't max out their credit cards.

&&&&&&

"I can't believe you are baking cookies," Lindsay said giggling, "or wearing that," she added, pointing to his pink apron.

"It was all we had. You threw out mine."

"The color made my eyes hurt. It was bad for the baby."

He rolled his eyes and pulled out another batch of chocolate chips, "what' next?"

"Just a few dozen sugar cookies and some gingerbread. I need to decorate those when they're done."

Danny nodded. He tried not to go into a sugar coma from all the sweets. As long as Montana was smiling he could deal with anything….even baking.

&&&&&&

"Danny I can't see anything," she complained, "What if I fall?"

"I got you," he promised, "I won't let you fall. Just relax. The blindfold will be off in a moment."

Lindsay sighed, but followed him a few minutes longer until he suddenly came to a stop.

"Okay," he said, "Ready?"

"I was ready fifteen minutes ago," she growled, but was struck silent when he took the blindfold off. They were in Rockefeller Center, inches from the tree.

"Oh Danny," she whispered.

He smiled, "Friend of mine works at the rink, agreed to open it for us for a few hours."

"But," she asked, reaching down to touch her stomach.

"I called the doctor," Danny reassured her, "And she said it was fine, just no triple axels."

Lindsay grinned and rushed off toward the ice. He ran to catch up with her, laughing as she stumbled over her laces. Finally he tied hers, then his own and they slid out onto the ice.

"This is the best present ever," she told him after they'd been sliding around the ice for about half an hour.

"Really?" he asked, and stopped in the middle of the ice, removing the box from his pocket and slowly leaning down on one knee, "Are you sure about that?"

"Oh god Danny," she said, opening the box and looking down at the most gorgeous diamond ring she'd ever seen.

"Lindsay Monroe you are my life. You're going to be the mother of my child and the only way you could make my life better is by agreeing to be my wife. Will you marry me?"

She shook her head, tears falling and shrieked, "Yes," sliding down to join him. He went flying back and then laughed as they rolled over the ice like children, kissing desperately.

Then he pulled back enough to slide the ring on her finger, "I love you."

"I love you, too," she said, leaning down to kiss him, "This is the best Christmas ever Danny, thank you."

"Anything for you Montana, anything for you."


End file.
